Sometimnes I'll tell them to go to a 24hr supermarket and pick up some mackerel from the fish section or give them a dead eel (I don't think many first timers are ready for the live snakes). If you think buying mackerel from a bait shop is expensive, try it from the supermarket at 2 in the morning <img src="/Images/Happy_Face.gif"><!--e1-->...
Unfortunately, you never quite know what person will decide to go fishging at midnite and who could approach you on the beach. I've run into some less than nice people at times while fishing solo and wondered if I'd need that rusty, bacteria laden knife on my belt (boaters can use a 2oz bunker snag <img src="/Images/Tounge_Wink_Face.gif"><!--e5-->).